Edison tried to solve early 1900s housing with a radical approach: pour entire concrete homes in 6 hours using reusable cast-iron molds. The tech was wild—2,300+ interlocking nickel-plated iron pieces that could cast walls, floors, even bathtubs in one shot. Fire-resistant, bug-proof, hose-cleanable.
The engineering reality killed it:
Mold system cost $175,000 upfront (1907 dollars). Massive crew + heavy machinery needed for setup/teardown, wiping out concrete's cost advantage. Concrete had to flow perfectly from roof down through complex channels—any variation = structural failure.
But the real killer was human psychology. People hated the idea of identical concrete boxes. Labeled "slum housing" before construction even started. Total cultural mismatch with the era's preference for individual style.
Only a few dozen built in Union NJ and Gary IN. Edison ate millions on the loss. Classic case of brilliant engineering meeting wrong market timing and zero product-market fit. The tech worked, the economics didn't, and the psychology was backwards.
The engineering reality killed it:
Mold system cost $175,000 upfront (1907 dollars). Massive crew + heavy machinery needed for setup/teardown, wiping out concrete's cost advantage. Concrete had to flow perfectly from roof down through complex channels—any variation = structural failure.
But the real killer was human psychology. People hated the idea of identical concrete boxes. Labeled "slum housing" before construction even started. Total cultural mismatch with the era's preference for individual style.
Only a few dozen built in Union NJ and Gary IN. Edison ate millions on the loss. Classic case of brilliant engineering meeting wrong market timing and zero product-market fit. The tech worked, the economics didn't, and the psychology was backwards.
